Federal Spending Bill Includes FAA Control Tower Funds For MD Airports

WICOMICO CO., Md. – A new federal spending bill announced on Wednesday brings good news for five airports across the state of Maryland, especially in Salisbury.

Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD announced that the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2015 includes $144.5 million to fund 149 federal contract air traffic control towers across the nation.

“This tower has been an asset for us and we want to keep it and continue it in operation for as long as possible,” says Bob Bryant, Wicomico Regional Airport manager. “Of course we were thrilled to hear.”

Last year, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced plans to close 149 federal air traffic control towers across the nation due to sequester. In April of last year, Congress passed legislation giving the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) flexibility to shift funding to prevent furloughs of air traffic controllers and keep the air traffic control contract towers open.

Since then, Bryant says it has been a waiting game. Without the towers, he says the airport could lose its scheduled airline service and much of their military traffic, which included 15,000 operations just this year alone.

“I know how important this is to our Lower Shore economy,” says Senator Mikulski. “It’s important for business, commercial, tourism, and personal transportation.”

Senator Mikulski says the bill will head to the House tomorrow and go before the Senate on Friday.She expects the measure to pass this week, which would extend funding through 2015.